If police say yes, Team Anna says will use ground at BKC

Indications from Team Anna and the Mumbai police suggest that there is a tentative agreement over shifting the venue for the proposed monthlong fast by social activist Anna Hazare to the MMRDA ground at the Bandra-Kurla Complex instead of the Azad Maidan.

A senior Mumbai police official told HT on the condition of anonymity, that activists of India Against Corruption (IAC), the social organisation led by Hazare, which had made an application to the Mumbai police, for allotting space at Azad Maidan for the fast between December 27 and January 26, have finally reconciled themselves to the MMRDA ground after deliberation.

“They (the IAC) anticipate a very large turnout at the venue during the event, which could cause inconvenience given the space crunch at Azad Maidan. They scouted around for spots in the city on Friday and finally settled on the MMRDA ground,” the official claimed on Friday.

He, however, made it clear that the police would give clearance for the event at the ground only after the MMRDA, which is the owner of the land, approved the IAC application. The official claimed that IAC has already made an application to the local (BKC) police for permissions for the event.

On Friday, 34 activists, including 13 women, of the Youth Republican Party of India were arrested by the Bhoiwada police for assembling in a protest and obstructing traffic at Parel TT Junction in Dadar (East) over the memorial land row, the police said.

The activists were demanding that 12.5 acres of Indu mill be allotted for construction of a grand memorial to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.